Posted on 11/01/2006 5:45:58 PM PST by tobyhill
WASHINGTON The Pentagon is looking into how classified information indicating Iraq is moving closer to chaos wound up on the front page of Wednesday's New York Times, and is not ruling out an investigation that could lead to criminal charges.
A spokesman for U.S. Central Command, which has responsibility for operations in Iraq, confirmed to FOX News that a chart published in The Times is a real reflection of the thinking of military intelligence on the situation in Iraq as of Oct. 18, adding that an effort is underway to find out who leaked the chart and if the breach of operational security constitutes a crime.
The published report includes a classified one-page slide show from an Oct. 18 military briefing. The slide show is titled: Iraq: Indications and Warnings of Civil Conflict, and shows spiraling violence in Iraq and a worsening position for American efforts.
Based on the slide show, Iraq is moving sharply away from "peace," designated in green on the left side of the chart, to a point much closer to the red-zoned right side of the spectrum, marked chaos.
(Excerpt) Read more at foxnews.com ...
Is W's AG asleep ?
"Bust" them?
When are we going to "rosenberg" them???
Any chance of this breaking before Election Day or are the surprises over?
Trace the author of the Times piece fcr a start.
Why doesn't CIA put a spy at NYT? Seems like the easiest thing to do.
The oath doesn't mean a thing to a partisan hack.
They figure they've done this before, even did it after the Prez told 'em not to.
They probably leaked the confidentiality status to create this kerfluffle.
Still a week to the election. More to come.
Not getting much initial reaction.
CUT
Walter Russell Mead, Michael Gordon, and Ronald Steel participate in a lunchtime discussion on U.S. foreign and defense policy.
"And Michael Gordon, who is somebody who all of us have learned a great deal from lately, and I hope will continue."
"Were going to try to talk about where things are going, where American foreign and military policy is going, how its been changed by whats happening in Iraq. And Im going to ask both of our panelists to be prescriptive as well as predictive, a little bit."
"And Id like to start with Michael and ask, where do you see, as a result of this war in Iraqwhat impact is that having on sort of the Rumsfeld plans for transformation, American military doctrine? What use is the military making of the experience that its having over there?"
MICHAEL R. GORDON: Well, you know, the war, understandably, is having a huge impact on the military, particularly the ground forces. And they are, of necessity, changing the way they do things. It would have been better if some of these changes had been made several years ago but, you know, heres where we are.
CUT
GORDON: Well, you know, the Army generals talk onto their retired colleagues about increasing the Army, which is around 500,000 now, you know, anywhere from 50,000 to 60,000. That said, the Army doesnt propose doing that formally. Theyre trying to safeguard their modernization budget. I think if they could get, you know, more forces and all of the weapons in the pipeline, that they would take that. Im not sure the administrations prepared to give them that, because there are trade-offs there."
If in fact, this was a story to get added forces/money, and the graph would be made public to influence a decision to deploy said numbers which has been consistently denied in the past by Bush/Rumsfeld as necessary, whereas; Gordon might be doing a favor for a specific General by inserting this classified story on the need for more focus on the number of troops to get the job done...a Democratic talking point.
Sorry, too tierd to do more tonight..maybe someone else can pick up, discard or cover another aspect.
http://www.cfr.org/publication/11680/iraqs_impact_on_the_future_of_us_foreign_and_defense_policy.html
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